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Yep pretty much what you say. I don't think she'd be bothered about drops, she'd not use them and see them as superfluous to her cycling needs.
Cheers!
andos-
My first "proper" bike was a Surly Cross-check. It really does do it all. Lots of ability to attach rack, mudguards, etc for commuting and touring. Plenty of space for big, comfy tyres. The frame shape means it's really easy to sling over your shoulder to carry it up the stairs (I find it much easier to carry my cross-check up 4 flights of stairs than lighter bikes which I can't get over my shoulder easily).
I think you can get them with flat bars, but drops are more versatile.
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My girlfriend has a Specialised Vita and likes it. The few times I've ridden it it seems nice and more towards the sporty end of hybrid (I think it's the women's version of the Sirrus pretty much). There are a range of about half a dozen of them going from the base model at about £400-£500 through to carbon fibre at £1,500 so you can probably get one at the right price point.
Although I wouldn't rule out the Sirrus either, geometry is slightly different, she won't know till she rides them what fits better.
Doctor_Cake
aggi
So basically an entry-mid level CX bike with flat bars? Would your wife consider drop bars with a slack-ish geometry?